


Starstrait

by berrybliss



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AkaKuro Week 2018, Artist!Akashi, Cripple!Kuroko, Day 1 - Pattern; Space; Vision, M/M, Soulmate marks, heavily altered myth, inspired by Vega and Altair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 01:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14274318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berrybliss/pseuds/berrybliss
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya's regular visits to the art gallery lead him to find something more than just art.





	Starstrait

**Author's Note:**

> Chose to name them Vega and Altair instead of the other variants because they’re what the actual stars are called, and this fic is star vomit. STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR  
> AkaKuro Week Day 1 – **Pattern || Space || Vision**

_It was more often than not the case – that if one were in love, he would be led to believe that he could do anything that the world demanded of him._

_Such was the case with Altair and Vega as they fell in love in the way all kindred souls did – only, there was one whose birthright was that of the heavens - the other, that of the earth. It was exactly this distinction that prevented them from being together, from settling down to have a normal, married life._

_When the mortal with a noble heart arrived at the gates of heaven to ask for the hand of Heaven’s child, he was labeled an outsider, and was driven away by beasts that conquered the skies – majestic dragons that had fire for breath – but a broken blade, after such a battle, did not constitute a broken spirit._

_It did not change, however, that between the two lovers was a division of heaven and earth. The Celestial Queen saw that no mortal heart could be fit for her child’s hand; especially not the love of an obscure country boy. The division was a thing that no mortal could bridge together, but it did not change that Altair and Vega looked at each other from the two opposite sides, their eyes mirroring the realization that perhaps, not all things could be resolved by a strong will, for if there was anything other than love that they possessed in generous amounts, it was precisely that, and a practicality that placed them at odds with the nature of the love that they shared._

_And there was something born out of this genuine desire that fueled their hearts to carry on with the passing days – for the Celestial King conceded and built, from the tears of unrequited lovers, a river of stars that could only have them meet once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month._

_While coming to terms with the truth, it was not characteristic of either Altair or Vega to remain idle and simply accept their fate. When it was finally time for them to meet, Vega whispered in Altair’s ear, “Even if it may not be in this lifetime, I will find my way to you, no matter what it takes.”_

_For it was known that if need be, Altair would fight the heavens for Vega. Vega fully intended to do the same._

_Soulmate marks were said to be made of stardust, the remnants of a legacy left by Altair and Vega who hoped that they would serve as a way for people to find themselves in others, a way to bridge the great divide and thereby become complete upon finding one’s other half across lifetimes of mortal pursuit._

        - _Altair and Vega:_ _The First Soulmates, Anthology of Romantic Myths_

* * *

 

The corridors that day were empty, save for a boy who was looking for things that were beautiful.

While there was a tireless determination to the boy’s every step, occasionally, he would let out a labored breath that grated his ears, breaking the otherwise present silence. His knuckles were pale from having gripped onto his crutches so tightly as he walked, pale like the walls that housed the works of art that people came to see.

Art was a form of escape for Kuroko Tetsuya, and when in his spare time, he lived a different life through his sketchbook’s pages, filling it with lights and shadows and things that came in dreams – but never color. Even without color, they seemed equally alive to him, however incomplete they may have seemed to others.

“That’s very like you, little brother,” His brother would tell him, not condescendingly. In that way, he and his brother had a similar appreciation for art, for a medium that was free of constraint. Kuroko loved him for it, but there was a thought that occurred to him there and then, however fleeting it might have been, that came from a place that he thought already stayed hidden – a thought that he did not want to be a burden anymore, and the emotion that won was guilt that he felt he owed his family, who had been nothing but kind.  

It brought to mind that it was not surprising how he came to this place once every week, for it almost seemed that otherwise, there would always be something about himself ever since that car accident that would make him go into a state of regression. While guilty, it was undeniable that a part of him was frustrated.

He wanted to remember what it was like before, even if for just a little bit, and he wanted to do it alone. When he looked at art, he found himself lost in it, captivated by its hold on him. He took his time, giving each painting minutes and minutes that slipped from his fingers’ grasp.

And then he saw it again with fresh eyes, almost as if it were the very first time.

The painting had a plain white background, and two silhouettes lay on opposite sides of the painting. Between them, suspended in the sky, was a pencil shaded eye that shed tears, and from these tears flowed the cosmos that seemed to take the shape of a river, sparkling with hues of black and blue, silver and gold.

Starstrait.

People called it the artist’s only romantic work, as it was not the subject matter he seemed to prefer. It was Kuroko’s favorite of his paintings, with the multiplicity of meanings that could be drawn from it, but above all, it was something familiar. Something he knew.

“Is it to your liking?”

Being so absorbed in the painting, he hadn’t heard the sound of approaching steps. A red-haired man stood steps away from him. He gave no impression of warmth, but wore an amicable expression that made Kuroko feel a semblance of ease.

And yet.

Kuroko knew him, had seen him before. Their intersection on that floor of the gallery was a product of many forces at work, because Kuroko had seen him in dreams, and in every waking moment he thought of the painting. Essentially, the red-haired man did not feel like a stranger _,_ even if this was surely the first time they’ve met.

And slowly, he felt heat surge from where his soulmate mark was located – on his wrist, the pattern of the constellation Aquila, The Eagle.

“You are…”

“My name is Akashi Seijuurou.” He stepped closer, till he was directly in front of the painting – in front of Kuroko. “I am the painter of this work.” He looked at Kuroko’s soulmate mark with intrigue. After a moment of contemplation, he pulled down his collar and revealed, on his collarbone, the constellation Lyra inscribed in blue. Akashi’s words almost knocked the breath out of him.

And then, in the manner of all soulmates, they saw each other’s lives flashing before their eyes.

* * *

 

_“It is strange, mother.”_

_“I believe all things made of love are strange.” His mother told him, her hand carding through his hair. “As strange as they are special.” She always spoke with such truth, yet the words that came out of her mouth were radiant with warmth. To Akashi, they always were, even while growing up._

_“What happens if you are soulmates, but you do not love each other?”_

_“Then you will go your separate ways, but it is painful, I imagine, to love someone who is already bound to another.”_

_“And what if your soulmate had already met someone and married them instead of you? And you genuinely loved them but they couldn’t reciprocate it in turn?”_

_“Well…” Shiori smiled, “Then you must find your own happiness.”  She did not speak of this lightly, he saw._

_“In my humble opinion, it is better if we are without it.” He told his mother, “It is better to leave things to chance, than to follow something predetermined, and find that it is predetermined that what you shared was never meant to happen at all.”_

_“It seems like I should not be too worried about you,” She chuckled, “But Seijuurou, it is my firm belief that soulmates do not make each other whole. It is a cruel thought to think that we were never born whole. Rather, soulmates – may they be a lover or a friend – are mirrors for ourselves to look upon.”_

_He stayed silent, taking in the words._

_Shiori continued, “There are times no bond is formed. It is even rumored that they change forms across lifetimes, and that there is a chance they might never meet or cross paths. Nevertheless, soulmates make us know ourselves better. Not all fruit that it bears is rotten – there is as much good in it as there is disappointment. The concept of soulmates teaches us to hope. Whether or not that is a good or bad thing is left for you to decide.”_

_Her red eyes, the same shade as her son’s, softened. “It seems I have done nothing to convince you, but that was never my intention. But I can tell you this.”_

_There was a vase of roses on the table next to them. Curled next to his mother, he saw that one of the petals had fallen._

_“Never be afraid to love, Seijuurou.” She said, “For it is the way of all things, that in exchange for a person’s chance at happiness, another person must lose theirs.”_

* * *

 

“And you are?”

 In that moment _,_ Kuroko knew.

* * *

 

_He stood at crossroads, in the moment of time when Akashi had gone on without him, and he was left to gather his bearings in the palaces of his home. It was inevitable that, like all things, Akashi would be reborn and would forget, just like all mortals did._

_“You have said goodbye to your father, I hope.” The Elder God looked at him expectantly, shaking the small vial in his hand. “He loves you very much.”_

_Kuroko did not need to be told that. “I told him that I was not lost to him.” He said, meeting the eye of the Elder God. “And he told me that he would watch over us across lifetimes.”_

_“It is a selfish wish, you know.”_

_“I am aware of that, Ryuuhei-dono,” Kuroko said softly, the wind rustling his sleeves.”And for that I am sorry.” The river vanished behind the clouds, sometimes, but it stayed even when Akashi was gone – even if there was nothing on the other side waiting for Kuroko. He was aware of it, of all people, because he had recklessly thrown himself onto the edge, had attempted to see how far he could go. The river of stars had pricked through his geta like needles on the skin of his feet, and when the seventh day of the seventh month came, not all of the scars had even had the time to heal. It was in this day that the river of stars was gentle like water, every step taken like raindrops from a summer drizzle._

_“You’re ready.” It was not a question. Kuroko gratefully took the vial into his hands, made from flowers of the dark side of the moon. It was madness, it was love._

_The Elder God clasped onto his hand as he drank the vial and bit by bit, lost consciousness._

_Falling till the pact was done, the promise fulfilled._

_If the gods would not give Akashi a place among the stars, Kuroko would take it upon himself to drag the sky down with him._

_That was precisely what he did._

* * *

He knew that he had found himself.

_I am drawn to your song._

“Tetsuya. Kuroko Tetsuya.” He answered, feeling the thrum of his heartbeat. Akashi’s.

_Can you hear mine?_

What beautiful things, then, could be anticipated from their pages and canvases upon such a discovery. After all, it is said that pictures paint a thousand words.

They would cross the distance at their own pace eventually, their own river of stars.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if anyone noticed, but in the Altair and Vega summary at the first part of the fic, there's no giveaway what Vega's actual gender is lololololol  
> And yeah, that is definitely not how the actual myth went xDDD  
> Fic 1/4  
> O-o  
> Thank you for reading. :D Hope AkaKuro Week turns out as great as always for everyone <3


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